Michael's View: September 2009

Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Inspection Photo of the Day - Damaged Shower Pan... 

While inspecting some Nashville real estate the other day, one of the inspectors for Complete Home Inspections came across this interesting scenario. The seller of the property was urged by their agent to get a pre-listing inspection before they put their home on the market. The buyer did not want to get a home inspection because they thought that it would cost too much money. Both of these folks were playing ostrich - not wanting to face the reality that there just might be something wrong.

The entire sub-floor and framing members were structurally compromised due to years of neglect and water seepage from the galvanized shower pan. Unless the old tile shower enclosure has been upgraded, one can expect that the shower pan has been compromised.  The life expectancy of the older galvanized shower pan is about 25 years.

The damaged shower pan and surrounding area will cost the seller about $7,000 repair. Good for the buyer, not so good for the seller. Which goes to show you, a good home inspector will save you money - not cost you.

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com

Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Nashville has plenty of homes for sale, and my job as a certified ASHI inspector is to be on the lookout for common plumbing issues. In most residential properties, It usually does not take a good home inspector long to find some unhandy workmanship that can raise some flags and sometimes the eyebrows of the inspector.

In one Nashville home that was for sale, I came across this ingenious plumbing issue that was not too common. This odd repair is something that most home buyers or thier agents would not be on the lookout for. I know I wasn't. What makes this plumbing issue not so common are the following:

1. The nipple just below and above the plumbing stop under the sink is black iron which is not designed for potable water. This material is commonly used for gas lines. The proper material would be galvanized steel.
2. The coupling used to join the two sections of pipe is a compression type coupling. While these may be okay for pipes under the house, these can leak. And, being in the cabinet under the sink, a leak here has the potential to do a lot of hidden damage. 
3. Although this handy man repair is functional, it does not meet acceptable trade practices and will need to be reviewed by a professional in the appropriate trade.

In another Nashville home that was for sale, another common plumbing issue that I am on the lookout for are irregularities or

inconsistencies in the waste disposal system. In this example, either the unknowing home owner or tradesman used an ABS fitting in conjunction with PVC pipes. Herein lies the problem:

1. PVC and ABS are although similar, are chemically different and require different glues.
   
2. Glues used for PVC and ABS are really solvents that melt the outer layer of plastic and chemically welds the two surfaces together.
3. Sometimes the welds do not properly bond, and over a period of time can develop leaks.

What caught my eye in this Nashville home for sale, was the lack of color around the pipe joint. Transition glues designed to work with both types of materials is generally orange in color. Even if the tradesman cleans the joints afterward, some trace amounts of the glue will remain.

If you are looking for homes for sale in the Nashville area, be sure to hire a good home inspector who will be on the lookout for common plumbing issues.

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com
Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

In the Nashville real estate market, there are several older properties that need to be inspected as part of the real estate transaction. As with older properties, there are common electrical issues that that need to be detected and revealed by a competent home inspector.

One of the things that a good home inspector will do is open the electrical panels and trace down the circuits. One of the things that your inspector should do is to trace back circuits that are spliced together (red wire nuts) back to the circuit interrupter in order to detect any wiring irregularities.

In the case with this panel, the splices traced back to 2 20 amp breakers that may be okay or this may be an indication that this is a 220 volt circuit that is missing handle ties on the breakers. A good home inspector has to make this determination As in the case of this circuit, it turned out to be a 220 volt circuit that was missing a handle tie on the breaker. The purpose of the handle tie is to disconnect both circuits in the event of an overload on one leg of the circuit. This is a minor repair that can be easily addressed by any licensed professional.

To read more about common problems found with older properties in the Nashville real estate market, click on this hyperlink which will take you to other posts about the Nashville real estate market.

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com

Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

Inspecting older properties in any real estate market can an reveal common roofing issues. Many times, older properties are purchased to fix and flip. Such was the case with this parcel of Nashville real estate. Many times the seller is at the mercy of the contractor and their subs to do the job and do it right. However this is not always the case.

At one time, there was a plumbing stack that ran through the boot jack on this recently installed roof. However, somewhere down the line, the vent was moved to accommodate the relocated bath and nobody thought to fix the roof. This hole in the roof can allow rain water or vermin in to the attic cavity. The repair is as simple as having an appropriate trade person remove the boot jack and install new shingles in this location.

To read more about common problems found with older properties in the Nashville real estate market, click on this hyperlink which will take you to other posts about the Nashville real estate market.

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com

Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...

I really think that butterflies are really cool. Some folks refer to them as flying flowers. I agree. They certainly have the grace and beauty of the flowers they rely on for nourishment. Have a wonderful start to the weekend y'all.

© 2009 michael thornton | complete home inspections, inc. | brentwood, tn | 615.661.0297 | www.completehomeinspectionsonline.com

Helping YOU Live YOUR American Dream...